COVID-19 impact: CGF postpones 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games to 2023

New Delhi, May 1

The 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games was on Friday postponed to 2023 because of clash of dates with Tokyo Olympics, which has been pushed back by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tokyo Olympics were originally scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8 this year but the quadrennial event was postponed by a year last month owing to the pandemic, which has so far claimed over 2 lakh lives globally.

“The Commonwealth Games Federation Executive Board have decided to explore rescheduling options for the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games,” the CGF said in a statement.

“The impact of the pandemic on the global international sporting calendar means that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have now been rescheduled to the summer of 2021 during the orginal dates of the Youth Games,” read the statement.

“Following positive discussions, the CGF has agreed to consider the best alternative options and time frames for staging the event in the future, potentially in 2023,” it added.

The seventh Commonwealth Youth Games were scheduled to take place from August 1 to 7 2021 in Trinidad and Tobago.

The CGF said the Caribbean nation would continue to remain the first preference for hosting the Games. “The CGF has given Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association consideration as the first option to host.”

CGF President Dame Louise Martin said the decision was taken in the best interest of athletes and fans.

“The rescheduling of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has also changed demands on scheduling and resources for many of our Commonwealth Games Associations and International Federations from 2020 to 2021,” she said.

“COVID-19 has had a devastating impact across the world and everyone’s absolute priority is the health and wellbeing of their communities,” she added. PTI